EricLichaj

Biography

Date of birth

17/11/1988

Height

175 cm

Signed

01/07/2013

Country

USA

American defender Eric Lichaj made 45 appearances during the 2016-17 campaign as his performances earned him the club's Player of the Season award.

The full-back has proved a fans' favourite since arriving on a free transfer from Aston Villa in the summer of 2013 and his fully-commited displays mean he is a popular performer with both teammates and supporters.

One of Lichaj's most memorable moments came in October 2015 as he scored his first goal for the club in the 1-1 draw against Burnley at The City Ground and he went on to find the net twice more in 2016-17 with goals against Birmingham and Huddersfield.

A product of the American college football system, Lichaj cut his education short to sign for Villa in 2008. He went on to make 31 Premier League appearances for the Birmingham outfit, 17 of which came in 2012-13 as Paul Lambert's young side battled bravely to avoid relegation.

The defender also has previous Championship experience from a successful loan spell with Leeds United in the 2010-11 season.